Services for Students with Disabilities

The Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) office at FCC assists and supports eligible students with disabilities. Student services may include academic advising, individualized accommodation plans, transition coaching, as well as workshops and programs. Students will be empowered to become self-advocates in order to achieve individual success at FCC and beyond. The SSD office provides community outreach and collaborates with agencies and resources to meet the diverse needs of students with disabilities. Please call to schedule an appointment.

Transitioning from high school to college

Welcome! The Services for Students with Disabilities Office (SSD) is the first stop for information and assistance to support students with disabilities. We strive to reduce the impact of a disability on a student’s opportunity to learn and participate in campus life. Students who self-identify and provide appropriate documentation of a covered disability are eligible for reasonable accommodations as described in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act and amendments.

We encourage students to actively participate in managing their educational success and to meet with SSD staff as early as possible to ensure adequate time to put accommodations into place.

FCC facilities include handicapped parking spaces (permit required), physically accessible restrooms, elevator access in buildings, and various forms of assistive technology available to eligible students upon request through the Services for Students with Disabilities Office.

STEPS TO OBTAIN DISABILITY SERVICES

Step One: Initial SSD Meeting

If you are interested in pursuing post-secondary options or are already enrolled at FCC but in need of accommodations, you should schedule an appointment with SSD staff at your earliest convenience. At this meeting we will discuss the nature of the reported disability and its impact on learning, the process of receiving accommodations at FCC, and the types of accommodations available.
Please bring copies of current documentation of a disability to this meeting.

Documentation must be provided by a medical expert within the last three years and include:

• a diagnosis of the disability;

• how the diagnosis was determined (what tests were given and the results); and

• a clinical summary which includes an assessment of how the disability will impact the individual in a college environment and what accommodations are recommended.

Step Two: Request for Initial Services

SSD will review placement test results and other school records to help students plan their course schedule. If eligible, a Student Success Plan (SSP), an accommodation plan, will be developed to address the specific courses for which they are planning to enroll. This plan must be renewed each semester. Staff are available during the semester to assist with ongoing accommodation needs or issues. Please contact our office with any questions or concerns. Timing is important! An accommodation plan should be presented to instructors as early in the semester as possible. This will allow for a dialog between the student and instructor.

Step Three: Ongoing Services

Each semester students must meet with SSD staff for advising and renewal of their SSP accommodations. This enables us to monitor student progress, as well as determine if accommodations are successful.

INTERPRETING AND NOTE-TAKING SERVICES

Sign Language Interpreter

The Coordinator of Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services is the primary point of contact for the provision of and payment for interpreting services for scheduled classes, labs, tutorial sessions and College events or academic activities. The Coordinator works cooperatively with faculty, staff and disability services counselors on campus to maintain effective communication regarding student needs and the implementation of services.

Students must identify themselves to the Coordinator, Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services and provide a recent copy of their audiogram for proper documentation. The Coordinator will then provide an Intake Packet, which includes an Interpreter Request Form. All forms should be completed and sent to the Coordinator via mailbox #59 or through personal delivery in order to process the request. The Coordinator will then review these materials and generate an Accommodations Form that must be given to each of the student’s faculty members during the first week of class. The Accommodation Form lets faculty members know that a student will be receiving services and to expect an interpreter or note-taker in their classroom. The written request form must be submitted to the Coordinator at least (2) weeks prior to the first day of class or activity. Once classes have been paid for, the Coordinator will begin to fill the request. We try to accommodate all requests; however, those received less than two (2) weeks in advance cannot be guaranteed.

Student Responsibilities
When students are using an interpreter or note taker, they are asked to keep in mind the following items that will help them, the interpreter and faculty members maintain a more effective relationship:

Discuss with the Coordinator to determine the most appropriate accommodations for your classes. If at any time you feel that the accommodations you are receiving are not allowing equal access, meet with the Coordinator to resolve any concerns.

Plan to arrive a few minutes early to meet your interpreter on the first day of class. Visit with the interpreter before the first session (or class) to discuss which communication method you prefer: American Sign Language (ASL), Signed English, Oral, etc., and any other communication needs you may have.

Introduce yourself to the faculty member and explain that you are deaf or hard of hearing and also introduce yourself to the interpreter. You should give the faculty member the folder for note-taking services if needed.

Provide the faculty member or group facilitator with a copy of the "Faculty Tips Sheet" which is provided in your Intake Packet and accommodation memorandum. Be available to discuss the different points with them if necessary. The Coordinator can be available to discuss questions or concerns with the faculty member should they arise.

Inform the Coordinator of adds, drops, room changes and course changes. Failure to do so may result in a suspension of interpreter services.

Report ALL unexpected absences and no-shows to the Coordinator. Students who accumulate three (3) or more non-emergency no-shows during a given semester will have services suspended for all classes pending a meeting with the Coordinator to discuss circumstances surrounding the absences. Extenuating circumstances and individual issues will be discussed and final determination for suspension of services and/or reinstatement will be made solely by the Coordinator. Failure to meet and discuss the absences with the Coordinator will result in an immediate suspension of services.

Note: MISSING CLASSES WITHOUT INTERPRETER NOTIFICATION CONSTITUTES A FINANCIAL BURDEN TO THE COLLEGE AND WILL RESULT IN SUSPENSION OF YOUR INTERPRETER SERVICES.

Direct questions concerning exams, quizzes or assignments should be directed to the faculty member only. The interpreter is only allowed to interpret your questions concerning exams, quizzes or assignments to the faculty member.

Note-Taking Services

Each student who receives interpreter services is given an Accommodation Form that outlines his/her need for interpreters and/or note-taking services. Students should give a copy of this form to each of their faculty members during the first week of class. At that time, the faculty members can help arrange for another student in the class to share copies of his/her notes. Typically, another student in the class is asked to serve as a volunteer note-taker. The student obtains the necessary carbon note-taking paper from campus counseling offices or the Coordinator to facilitate sharing of copies. Other methods or means may be pursued if a volunteer is not found within the first week of class, in which case, the alternate method will be to offer compensation of their services.

Assistive Listening Devices

Frequency Modulation (FM) systems are available for check out from the Coordinator at FCC. Students who have never tried an FM system before and are not sure if they could benefit from its use can make arrangements to try it out with the Coordinator. Many are very effective and helpful for use in a formal lecture setting with one speaker.

Certainly, as with any FCC student/professional situation, open and direct communication between the parties is highly encouraged and often helps to resolve most conflicts or problems. In the event that the situation cannot be resolved please contact the Director of Services for Students with Disabilities.

For more information or to request accommodations, please call 301-846-2408 well in advance of registration for classes. If requesting interpreting services, please contact Leslie Puzio, Coordinator for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services, by emailor call 301.846.2476 at least two weeks in advance.

Notice of Non-Discrimination and Contact Information

Frederick Community College is committed to the principles of equal opportunity and strictly prohibits discrimination against any person on the basis of age, ancestry, citizenship status, color, creed, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, genetic information, marital status, mental or physical disability, national origin, race, religious affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status in its activities, admissions, educational programs, and employment.

All members of the College community are expected to abide by this non-discrimination policy and to comply with Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, (ADEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, (ADA), and amendments.